NSF Award
9710569
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project concerns the development of novel types of miniature mercury and mercaptan gas detectors using recently developed highly sensitive microcantilever chemical sensors. These sensors are manufactured using standard microelectromechanical systems and integrated circuit microfabrication techniques. During the Phase I project, these sensors were shown to detect mercury vapor concentrations down to 0.5 parts per billion(ppb) and mercaptans down to 50 ppb. Simple and rapid sensor regeneration techniques were demonstrated in the Phase I project, along with inexpensive and effective techniques for the removal of dust and other possible chemical interferents. The Phase II project will construct, and test under field conditions, prototype mercury and mercaptan detectors. The instrumentation will find application in numerous environmental applications requiring real time, sensitive analysis of mercury in air, soil, water, and food, and in mercaptan detection of leaks in natural gas supply lines and appliances. Detectors based on the microcantilever sensor technology will be far more portable and sensitive, and also less expensive than currently available instrumentation. The development of personal monitors and sensors for other vapors based on this technology is also envisioned.
